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Sierra Club hits 9 more House Republicans with ads criticizing PTC inaction

Source: Nick Juliano, E&E reporter • Posted: Thursday, July 24, 2014

The Sierra Club announced today it is launching online advertisements targeting nine more House Republicans to criticize the lack of action to renew a key clean energy tax break.

The campaign continues the green group’s efforts to secure an extension to the production tax credit, or PTC, which expired at the end of last year. The credit supports wind, geothermal and other renewable energy sources and typically enjoys broad bipartisan support, but advocates have struggled to secure an extension amid intense criticism from conservative critics who say the PTC is too expensive and has outlived its necessity. Advocates say the credit should be reinstated because it supports job creation and energy innovation.

“The House of Representatives may be going on recess, but they’ve been taking a break from protecting American jobs all year long,” said Dave Hamilton, director of clean energy for Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign, in a statement today. “Wind energy is bringing jobs and investments to communities all across the country while cutting air and water pollution, but these Representatives are letting that all blow away by failing to act to renew the Production Tax Credit.”

The new online ads, which will run on local and national news websites, target members who have wind facilities in their districts but have not publicly called for a PTC extension, according to the Sierra Club. All Republicans, the latest targets are Reps. Mike Coffman of Colorado, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, Adrian Smith and Lee Terry of Nebraska, Michael Conaway of Texas, Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, Glen Thompson of Pennsylvania, Jackie Walorski of Indiana, and Peter Roskam of Illinois. Of those, only Terry and Coffman are in competitive races.

This is the second round of advertising as part of the Sierra Club’s campaign, which earlier targeted other Republicans, some of whom will see ads continue in their districts (Greenwire, June 12).